Forgotten
by Stabson
Summary: amnesia- complete or partial loss of memory caused by brain injury, shock, etc. What will happen when one of our favorite detectives can't remember anything about their life? Who will be there for them?  E/O
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Testing the waters on this new idea of mine… enjoy.

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><p>Everything was blurry. There were fuzzy shapes and colors all around, but I couldn't tell what most of them were. Faces… I saw faces, but didn't know who they were. I heard voices, but couldn't make out what they were saying. The only thing that was clear was the pain. My head, my chest, my ribs… it was everywhere. And it was almost unbearable.<p>

I felt myself moving… and wondered how. I was laying on my back… what was happening…? Why did everything hurt like this? Did I get hurt? How?

And then I felt a hand on my forehead, and a soft, feminine voice, "Elliot? Elliot, can you hear me? Are you okay?"

Was she talking to me…? Who was Elliot? I tried to think, but my mind was blank. The blurry shapes got a little clearer, and I saw her. She had brown hair, and deep, milk chocolate eyes… she was beautiful. She was looking at me with concern in hers eyes. I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out except a groan.

I felt myself being lifted, and I was inside. The woman sat next to me, "Shh. Don't talk, just rest. Everything's going to be okay."

We were suddenly moving, and I heard a siren… we were in an ambulance. There were hands on me, more faces looking down at me. I was tired… I just wanted to sleep. The woman smiled down at me, and squeezed my hand, "You're safe now. The doctors are going to take care of you."

As I looked up at her, my eyelids were getting heavier and heavier. I could barely keep them open anymore. I tried to blink, but my eyes did not open again.

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><p>I was staring up at a white ceiling. There was a soft, steady beeping in the background… I was comfortable. The pain had ebbed, and I was laying on something soft. Where was I now? The only thing that I could remember was the woman, talking to me, and… the pain. What was happening? Why couldn't I remember?<p>

"Elliot?"

My gaze flickered away from the ceiling, and I saw her sitting next to me. She was holding my hand, watching me.

"Where…?" my voice was soft and raspy and it hurt somewhat to talk. I wondered if I always sounded like this.

"You got hurt," she answered, "You're in the hospital."

"Why can't I remember…?" I asked.

She sighed, "You hit your head."

"Oh," I said softly. I wanted to ask her who she was… but I couldn't bring myself to do it. Her voice was the first thing that I had heard; her face was one of the first things that I saw. Who was she? I sighed shakily, and asked the other question that had been burning in my head, "Who… who am I?"

I saw pain flash across her face, and immediately regretted asking. I didn't want to hurt her… I just wanted things to make sense.

"You're Elliot," she told me softly, "Elliot Joseph Stabler."

"Oh." The name meant nothing to me. Was it really mine? I swallowed, waited for a second, then asked, "Who are you?"

Another flash of pain. I felt terrible, "I'm Olivia."

I wished I recognized the name… I wished that more than anything. She sighed, probably realizing that nothing had sparked. Her mouth opened, and she was about to say something, when a man wearing a white coat carrying a clipboard walked in, "Welcome back, Mr. Stabler. How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay. I think," I answered, "What happened to me?"

"You were shot twice," the doctor answered, "Once in the right of your chest and once in your right bicep. Five of you ribs are broken, and you have some bumps and bruises. We had to give you a blood transfusion."

"What about my head?" I asked, "Why can't I remember anything?"

I saw his eyes flicker to Olivia, then back to me, and I was immediately curious. "You hit your head so hard that there was swelling in the cerebral cortex of your brain. It caused you to suffer retrograde amnesia."

I felt Olivia squeeze my hand, and the doctor jotted something down on his clipboard, "Try to get some rest. Your body needs it to heal properly. I'll be back to check on you soon."

He walked out, and I turned to Olivia, questions buzzing around my head. I planned on asking her, but she spoke before I could, "The doctor's right, Elliot. You should sleep so you can get better."

I _was_ tired… but there was so much that I still needed to know. How did I get hurt? How did I know her? "Olivia…"

Olivia shook her head, "No more questions now. I know you're confused, but you need to rest. I'll tell you more when you wake up, okay?"

"But…"

"Shh," she interrupted, silencing me, "No buts. Just close your eyes and get some sleep."

"Will you stay?" I asked somewhat timidly. I knew that I wouldn't be able to sleep if she was going to leave… it felt strange asking this woman to stay with me when I didn't really know her. I wasn't sure why, but I needed her. Besides… I _did_ know her, I just couldn't remember her.

"Of course I will," Olivia said, squeezing my hand lightly.

I nodded in relief, and did as she asked, letting my eyes close. It only took a moment to drift off.

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><p>When I woke up, I took a deep breath, but didn't open my eyes quite yet. I heard voices… one was Olivia, and the other was the doctor that I met earlier.<p>

"When do you think he'll remember?"

"His head injury was pretty serious. If he does regain all of his memory, it might take months, or even years."

"What do you mean, _if_? You think he might stay like this forever?"

"There's a possibility. Every case of amnesia is different. Some victims regain there memory quickly. With others it takes years, and some never remember. With those cases, sometimes the memories are too painful for the victim to remember. All's we can do it wait and see. There will be a better chance of him remembering when he gets home, where he'll be around familiar surroundings."

I heard Olivia sigh shakily, "Okay. Thank you, Doctor Nash."

My eyes opened slowly, and I saw her, sitting next to me just like before. She looked at me, and smiled slightly, "Hey. How're you doing?"

I shrugged, but winced slightly at the pang of pain from the gunshot. I wondered briefly if I had ever gotten shot before. Then I asked myself what kind of question that was. I couldn't remember anything about my life, I didn't even know who I was.

"How did this happen?" I asked softly. I felt helpless… I wish I could think of something at least. But there was nothing.

She shook her head, "It's… it's better if you remember that on your own."

I sighed, and let my eyes close for a minute, "Fine."

She must have sensed my darkening mood, because she spoke again, "I'm so sorry, Elliot."

I shook my head, turning my head away from her. I suddenly didn't feel like talking anymore. Her hand moved up to my shoulder and she left it there, "Come on, El… please don't do this."

"El?" I asked, looking at her, my curiosity suddenly peaked.

She chuckled softly, "A nickname I call you."

"We're close, aren't we?" I whispered.

Olivia nodded, a soft smile playing at her lips, "Yeah. We're very close."

"I wish I could remember you," I told her, feeling my eyes moisten slightly, "I'm sorry… I wish…"

"I know you do," she said, "But it's okay , it's not your fault. You'll remember eventually."

"What if I don't?" I asked, remembering the doctor's words. What if I never remember anything?

"Then I'll teach you," she answered, and I knew she was referring to both the question I asked her and the one I asked myself, "I'll teach you everything you need to know."

I sighed softly, and nodded my head, "I'm tired. I think I want to go back to sleep."

She gave a small smile, "Okay. Go ahead, get some more rest. I'll be right here when you wake up."

And I slept again.

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><p>AN: Thanks for reading. This has been hiding in my notebook for a while now, and I decided to give it a try. Please review and let me know if I should continue!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Here's chapter 2, guys. Thanks for all the great feedback you gave me last chapter.

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><p>When I woke again, it was dark outside. I looked next to me, and saw Olivia, sleeping next to me on the hospital chair. I looked intently at her. The question raised again in my head… who was she? I knew her name, but that didn't help. She said that we were close… how close, though? I felt a pull towards her, I couldn't explain it. Were we together? Married? No… we couldn't have been. Neither of us wore wedding rings.<p>

She stirred in her seat, and I watched as her eyes fluttered open slowly, "Hey."

"Hi," I whispered in response.

She leaned in closer to me, "Are you okay?"

I nodded, "Fine… just thinking."

"Anything come to mind?" she asked.

"No. Not really," I answered, sighing.

She reached out to touch my arm gently, "It's okay. It'll come back."

I nodded, turning my hands over in my lap. My brow furrowed when I saw the ink on the inside of my forearm. It was the Eagle, Globe and Anchor… the Marines, I realized.

I looked up at Olivia, "Was I...?"

She nodded her head, "Yeah, you were a Marine. You fought in Desert Storm."

Suddenly, I felt hot and dry. My heart was racing, and I heard gunshots, "Stabler!"

"El?" I looked at Olivia, "What? Did you remember something?"

I shook my head, trying to make sense of the vision that I had just seen, "A little. I… I think it was from when I fought."

She squeezed my arm gently, "That's good, El. That's really good. Maybe you'll remember more."

"Is… is that my only tattoo?" I asked. I had a strange feeling that I did. Maybe if she told me something, I would remember something else. I was desperate.

She chuckled lightly, "No. You have another."

"Where?" I asked.

Olivia lifted my sleeve, and I saw more ink. It was a crucifix… was I religious?

"You're Catholic," she told me.

Nothing else came to me. I sighed, and nodded my head. At least I knew something. She smiled slightly, and we drifted into silence. A nurse walked in a few minutes later, holding a tray of food, "Here you are, Mr. Stabler. Dinner."

I thanked her, and looked at the food blankly, "Do I like anything of this?"

Olivia laughed, leaning over, taking the Styrofoam plate. She scraped everything except the piece of meat into the trash, "Not in the hospital, you don't. Don't drink the coffee, either. It's nasty."

"Thanks," I said, lifting the plastic fork. Thank God I had her here to help me.

I stayed with Olivia for a few more hours, not really talking, just sitting. I was comfortable… we didn't need to talk.

Eventually, my eyelids grew heavy, and I yawned tiredly. Olivia reached behind me to fluff my pillow, "Go ahead and sleep, El. I'll be here when you wake up."

I nodded slowly, "Night, Livia."

"Good night," she answered.

I looked at her for one more second, and let my eyes close. No dreams came to me that night.

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><p>Light was coming in through the window when I opened my eyes. Olivia must have gone home and came back, because instead of the light blue dress shirt she was wearing the day before, she had a red polo shirt. There was a black down jacket hanging over the chair that she was sitting in.<p>

"Morning, sleepy head," she said, smiling at me.

"Hi," I answered.

"How're you feeling?" she asked.

I shrugged my shoulders, "Okay."

"I talked to Doctor Nash," she said, "He said that he wants to keep you here for one more day, and if everything goes right, you can come home tomorrow."

I nodded, feeling relieved. One thing that I knew was that I didn't like hospitals. I didn't know where home was, but it must have been better than where I am now, "Good."

Olivia looked fondly at me, and shifted in bed, "What?"

"Nothing. Just thinking," she answered, and reached over to adjust the light blanket over me. Her hand lingered on my chest for a second, making my curiosity peak.

I nodded slowly, and asked, "So… where do I live?"

She chuckled softly, and I thought about how ridiculous the question sounded. Me, asking someone else where my home was. "Manhattan. You have an apartment."

"Do I live with anyone?" I asked, looking up at her.

She shook her head, pursing her lips, "No. You live alone."

"Oh," I said. I thought I heard something in her voice… regret, maybe? What would she have to regret about _me _being alone?

Thankfully, the rest of the day went by in a blur. Olivia never left... I was happy about that. I wasn't sure why, but I needed her. I needed her with me.

The next morning, I woke up alone, though. I frowned, looking around, but didn't see her. Why did she leave? I couldn't do anything without her… she knew everything about me that I didn't.

The door opened a little while later, and she walked in, easing my worry. She was holding a small bag, and when she looked at me, she smiled, "Hey. I just ran to your apartment yo get some clothes. I was hoping you'd still be asleep when I got back."

I nodded. Of course she came back. I didn't know much about her, but I knew that I could trust her. She wouldn't leave me alone to fend for myself when I had no clue about anything. She sat down in her chair, "How're you feeling this morning?"

"Okay. When can I get out of here?" I asked. I was eager to go home and get an idea of who I was.

She laughed, "I talked to Doctor Nash. He's gonna come in and check you, then get your discharge papers. We'll be out of here within an hour."

She was right. After only a few minutes, the doctor was in the room checking my vitals.

"How are you feeling, Mr. Stabler?" he asked, "Any pain?"

"Just a little," I answered truthfully, "My ribs…"

The doctor nodded, "That's expected. There's not much I can do about it, I've prescribed some pain reliever. I want you to take it easy for a week so your wounds can finish healing properly."

"He'll do that," Olivia said from her spot in the chair, "I'll make sure."

"Good," he said, "Then you're free to go whenever you're ready."

"Thanks," I answered, and then the doctor was gone. Olivia stood, placing the bag she had brought on the chair, "Here. Go ahead and change, I'll meet you out there in the hall."

I nodded, and she smiled at me before leaving. I got up slowly, and stretched. It felt good to finally stand up again. I opened the bag, through on the jeans and jacket that were inside, and walked out of the room where Olivia was waiting. She smiled at me, and her hand went to my back, "Ready to go?"

I nodded, "Yeah."

"Okay," she said, and I followed her out of the hospital. She led me through the parking lot, and opened the door of a green truck for me. I said a thank you, and got in.

"This is your truck," she said softly as she got in.

I looked around, and shrugged lightly. It wasn't a bad looking truck… yes, I liked it. She pat my hand lightly, and the truck started moving. I leaned back in the seat, and looked out the window, watching as the buildings passed by.

"What are you thinking about?" Olivia asked softly a little while later.

I looked at her, and shook my head, "Nothing."

We were silent for the rest of the ride. Olivia pulled up in front of a brick apartment building, and turned off the car. She led me inside, and up the elevator to the second floor.

The living room of the apartment was plain. There were hardwood floors, leather furniture and pictures on the walls. On one wall was a bookcase, and in a corner there was a desk. There were folders and files stacked on it, not very neat, but neat enough. A black laptop was sitting in the center. I stepped farther inside, taking it in. This was where I lived, but it didn't feel like it. It felt like this was the home of someone else.

"You're not here very much," I heard Olivia say from behind me; "You're always busy."

I nodded, shoving my hands into the pockets of my coat. She showed me the rest of the place, and I lingered in the bedroom, looking into the mirror. Cropped dark hair, blue eyes, light stubble… this was me.

"El?" I heard Olivia's soft voice. I turned to her. She was leaning against the doorframe, looking at me, "It's noon. You hungry, want something to eat?"

My stomach growled, reminding me that I hadn't eaten since the meager meal that I had the night before. I nodded my head, and she gestured to the kitchen, "Come on. I'll make you something."

I followed her in the kitchen, and sat down at the table, watching as she moved around the kitchen. She must have been here often. She knew where everything was. After a few short minutes, she placed a plate in front of me. Roast beef on a bulky roll and potato chips. She went to the fridge, took out a salad and set a can of Coke next to my plate. I looked at the meal curiously, and she chuckled, "You'll like it. I promise."

She knew me better than I knew myself. So I nodded and took a bite of the sandwich. She was right. It was delicious. I looked up at her, and smiled, picking at her salad, "Yeah?"

I nodded, "Yeah."

"Good," she stated, eating a tomato.

Suddenly, we weren't sitting at my kitchen table anymore. We were at a diner. There were people talking all around use, and instead of the sandwich and chips on plate, there was a cheeseburger and fries. She was eating a BLT sandwich and a green salad. There was a warm smile on her face. My hand reached for her plate on it's own, and snagged a tomato, popping it into my mouth. She gave me a look, and laughed slightly, reaching to grab one of my fries.

Then, before I knew what was happening, I was back in my kitchen.

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><p>AN: Thanks for reading, guys. I'm really happy with the feedback I got last chapter, I really hope you guys give me the same this time. Please let me know if I should continue or not


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Hey, guys. Here's Chapter 3. Enjoy.

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><p>Olivia's brow furrowed, "El? Are you okay?"<p>

"Fine, Liv," I answered, taking a bite of the sandwich. I wasn't sure what I had just experienced… it felt like a memory. I hoped that it was a memory.

She froze, and I looked up, "What? Did I do something?"

Olivia nodded, smiling, "You called me Liv."

I didn't know what to say. I didn't mean to call her that; it just came out. It was natural. Should I have called her that? Or was it a mistake?

Her smile grew wider, and I knew that it wasn't a mistake, "You used to call me that all the time. Like I call you El."

Finally, I remembered something. I hadn't meant to, but something finally came to me. My lips turned upwards, and I popped a chip into my mouth, "Great. Liv."

The look on her face made me feel incredible. Her hand slid across the table, and took mine gently, which was resting on the table. I was honestly surprised. But I didn't mind… holding her hand felt… nice. Her thumb brushed across the back of my hand, and I swallowed, whispering, "What… what are we, Liv?"

She hesitated, and I thought that she was thinking about it, "You're my best friend. You're everything."

I squeezed her hand gently, wondering if I could ask her the question that was in my mind. Finally, I asked, "What are you to me?"

I felt stupid… asking _her_ how _I_ felt about her. She shrugged, smiling slightly, "You'll figure it out on your own. I can't tell you how you feel about me."

I nodded slowly, and went back to eating. She didn't let go of my hand. Maybe she knew that I didn't want her to. When we were finished, she put everything away and I walked into the living room. A picture on the coffee table caught my eye, and I sat on the couch, taking it in both of my hands. There were six people in it, one of them I recognized as myself. There were three girls, a boy, and a woman.

"El?" I heard, and then Olivia was sitting next to me, "What are you looking at?"

I tilted the frame towards her, and asked curiously, "Who are they?"

She pointed to one of the girls, "That's Maureen," the next one, "Kathleen," then the boy and the girl, "Twins Dickie and Elizabeth. They're your kids."

I have kids? I looked at them intently, and started to see the resemblance. I guess they could be mine… "Where are they now?" I asked. This apartment could never hold four kids…

"That's your ex-wife, Kathy," Olivia said, pointing to the blonde that my arm was wrapped around in the picture, "She took them to live in Seattle about a month ago."

I frowned slightly… I felt a sense of loss for them. Four children and I don't remember anything about them. I wished I could at least meet them. I suddenly missed them, even though I didn't remember them.

I felt Olivia squeeze my shoulder gently, and I sighed. At least I had her. At least I wasn't alone, "Are you okay, El?"

I shrugged, "T-tell me about them."

She smiled, "They're great kids. You're proud of all of them. Maureen is an honor's student. She's Daddy's girl. Kathleen struggles a little in school, but she's a good kid. She plays soccer. Dickie and Elizabeth are adorable. They used to make you read them Christmas books every night."

I couldn't help the smile that formed, "That _is_ cute."

She nodded and we fell silent. I sighed shakily, unable to tears my eyes from the picture, "I wish I remembered them. I wish I could see them."

"I know you do," she answered pulling me closer to her. I relaxed into her touch, and rested my head against her shoulder. She was comfortable… I leaned further into her, and my eyes closed on their own. I felt her arm slide around me, my lips turned upward. Me and her, _this_… it felt right. Natural. It felt more right than anything else I remember feeling.

I shifted slightly so I could be closed to her, and let out a deep breath. Her arm loosened slightly, "Do you… do you want to get up?"

I shook my head, pressing my head further into her shoulder, "No."

"Okay," she whispered, and I felt her hand in my hair, caressing, and then lightly scratching. God, that felt so good.

"Liv," I whispered, and her arms tightened around me, "Yeah."

I shook my head, unable to think of anything to say, "Nothing."

"Okay," she answered softly. My arm slid around her ever so slowly, and my eyes opened. I looked up at her, seeing warmth, and something else in her eyes. I couldn't tell what it was… but it was good, and I liked it. She smiled down at me, running her thumb over my cheek, "How're you doing?" she asked.

I shrugged my shoulders slightly, "As… as long as you're here, I'll be okay."

How had I gotten so close to her? How did I care about her so much, when I've only known her for days? But I've known her for much longer than that, I realized. I just couldn't remember her. I wish that I could. I wish that I knew how I felt about her. We were friends, at least… but it seemed like much more than that.

"T-tell me something," I requested softly.

"What do you want to know?" she asked.

"Anything."

"You're the most amazing man that I've ever known," Olivia told me, her smile growing wider, "And nothing will change that, memory or no."

"What if I never remember?" I asked.

"Then that's okay," she said, "You'll be fine. I promise you will be. I won't leave your side until you want me to."

I swallowed, somewhat comforted by her words, "I don't think I'll ever want you to."

"Good," she answered, "Because I'll never want you to."

Suddenly, I felt vibrating, and jumped. What…? Olivia reaching into her pocket, and gave an apologetic look, "I'll be right back."

I let her up reluctantly, and leaned against the cushions. The TV remote resting on the coffee table caught my eye, and I reached for it, flipping it on. There was a show on about three guys and three little girls living in a house together. I flipped through the channels, clueless. Olivia walked back in after a few minutes of flipping, "What are you doing?" she asked.

I shrugged, "What do I like?"

She chuckled lightly, "Nothing that's on now. I'll show you a movie that you like."

Setting the remote down, I watched her curiously. She opened the cabinet under the TV and took out a DVD case, putting it in the player. She sat next to me, and we watched. Olivia, like always, was right. It was a good movie. When it was over, she ordered Chinese food, claiming that it was something that we both liked.

It didn't take long for the food to arrive. We ate, and then just sat until it grew dark out. She looked out the window, and sighed, turning to me, "I should get going."

My heart sunk. I didn't want her to go… "Do you have to?"

She nodded, "I should get home. And you need to get to sleep. You're hurt and you're body's still hurting. I want you to get better quick."

I sighed, and nodded reluctantly, "Okay…"

She took my hand, and squeezed it gently, "I'll come back tomorrow, okay? Make sure you take your pain meds so you're not hurting."

"Alright," I answered, and she smiled warmly at me before walking out of the apartment. I sighed, and just sat on the couch for a few minutes.

A yawn escaped my lips, and I took a deep breath as I got up from the couch, deciding to follow Olivia's advice. I really _was_ tired.

I peeled off the button-up shirt and jeans I had been wearing, and crawled into bed. I sighed, and rolled onto my back, looking up at the ceiling. My gaze went down to the white bandages on my chest and my arm. I touched the gauze gently, desperately trying to remember how I had got these wounds. Nothing came, though. All's I had were the tiny tidbits that had come to me accidentally.

I wasn't aware of my eyes closing, and I didn't remember falling asleep.

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><p>AN: Thanks for reading, guys. Please review and let me know what you think and if I should continue. This whole first-person thing is sort of new to me, considering I never really use it.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Here's another chapter, guys. I know it took a little while, but I didn't abandon it! :)

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><p>When my eyes opened, it was light out. I yawned, and stretched out on the mattress, not wanting to get up quite yet. I folded one of my arms behind my head, and just like the night before, I thought. I wondered about my past, about my whole life. The doctor's words came to my mind… that it would come back to me and that I shouldn't push it. But I couldn't help it. I wanted to remember so damn bad.<p>

Like before, nothing came to me. I sighed, and rolled out of bed, padding to the dresser. I pulled on a pair of jeans, and made my way into the living room. I looked around, wondering what I could do. I didn't know if I had a job or not, and Olivia didn't give me her number.

A photo album on the desk caught my eye, and my eyebrows furrowed. I wonder…? I picked it up, and lowered down onto the couch as I opened it. The first few pictures were of babies and young children. They must have been my kids, I realized. Kathy and I were scattered throughout… mostly me, though. I figured she was the one that was taking most of these pictures.

One picture caught my eye, making me smile. I was in it, laying on a couch, and there was a little girl laying on my chest. _My_ little girl, I knew. Without really thinking, her name came to me… Maureen. That was Maureen. We were both sleeping, my arms were wrapped around her protectively.

I slowly flipped through the pages, and started to see more people mixed in. There was Olivia, a skinny guy with dark hair and glasses, a balding one, and a dark-skinned guy with a ponytail. I wondered who they were… friends, maybe, like Olivia?

There was a knock on the door, and I didn't look up from the album when I answered, "Come in!"

The door opened, but my eyes were still glued to the page in front of me. It was as if parts of my life were flashing before my eyes.

"Hey, El," I heard Olivia greet, and I finally looked up, "Whatcha looking at?"

I shrugged my shoulders, looking back down at the book, "Pictures. Can you… can you tell me who these people are?"

She smiled warmly at me, and nodded her head, sitting next to me on the couch, "Of course."

I moved the book so it was partly on her lap as well, and she pointed at the skinny guy, "That's John Munch," then to the one with dark skin, "Odafin Tutuola, but we all call him Fin," and then to the last one, "And that's Don Cragen."

"How do we know them?" I wondered.

"We work with them," she explained, "Turn the page."

I did so, and saw a picture with all of them in it. Olivia was standing all the way to the right, I was standing slightly behind her to her left. My arm was wrapped around her shoulders, a friendly gesture, and she was leaning into me with a smile on her face. Don was standing on my other side, looking at me and Olivia out of the corner of his eye with a smile on his face. John and Fin were standing next to Don, small smiles on there faces. We were all in uniform.

"We're cops?" I asked, looking up at Olivia.

"Detectives," she said, "Don's our captain. We're in the…"

"Special Victims Unit," I finished. I didn't know how I knew that… it just came out.

She nodded, "That's right. You remember?"

I shook my head, "No… not really. Just Special Victims Unit."

Olivia nodded and I lowered my eyes back down to the photo album, flipping through the pages. Olivia stayed next to me, and told me about each of the pictures… where and when they were taken, and who were in them. I finally closed it after the last page, and set it down on the coffee table. She watched me as I leaned back against the cushions.

"You okay, El?" she asked softly.

I shrugged my shoulders, "I guess so."

"Everything will work out," she told me, patting my shoulder gently, "I promise it will. Trust me."

I raised my gaze to look at her, and nodded my head, "I do trust you."

"Good," she said, squeezing my hand, "Come on. I want to take you somewhere."

Olivia got up, and I followed her out of the apartment, wondering where she was taking me. I got into the car, and she started it, pulling out of the parking lot. We were quiet for most of the ride. She pulled into a parking lot in front of a multiple story building, and she turned to me, "Ready?"

I shrugged my shoulders, "I guess so."

We got out, and I followed her inside, into the elevator. When the doors opened, we walked out, and into a large room… squad room, my mind told me without a thought.

"This is where we work," Olivia told me, "Come on."

She took my hand gently, and led me over to two conjoined desks. They were both empty, no one was sitting at them. I looked at her, "Are these our…?"

Olivia nodded her head, "Yeah. These are our desks."

I stepped closer to the desk slowly, trying to think of a time that I had sat in it. Nothing came.

"Why don't you hang out here for a few minutes," Olivia said softly, "See if being here helps anything. I'm going to talk to Captain Cragen, okay?"

I nodded my head, "Alright."

She disappeared, and I sighed, taking a seat at the desk. I tried to think, but it didn't work. This place was foreign, I felt as if I had never been here before, but I knew that I had been. I sighed again, and ran a hand over my face.

Thankfully, Olivia returned in a few minutes. She set a hand on my shoulder, "Doing okay?"

I nodded my head, "Yeah."

Her grip tightened slightly, "Good."

"Elliot? Olivia?" a voice asked from behind us. I didn't recognize it, but I wasn't surprised. I didn't recognize anything, really. I turned, and saw two of the other men from the photo album. Munch and Fin, I thought.

"Hey, guys," Olivia greeted, "I brought El in to see if he could remember anything."

The older man, John, nodded his head as he looked at me. I watched as he took a step closer, "Hey, Elliot. Do you remember me at all?"

I swallowed, and shook my head. I felt terrible, "No. Not really."

He nodded, "That's okay. I'm John, we work together."

I shook the hand that he held out to me, and nodded, "Okay."

John smiled slightly, and stepped back. Next was the other man, "Guess you don't remember me, neither, huh?"

"No," I told him.

"It's cool," he answered, "I'm Fin. Munch over there is my partner. You should actually feel lucky that you don't remember him."

I laughed at the comment. John crossed his arms, "Hey! Be quiet, you, I'm not that bad."

Then I felt Olivia's comforting touch on my shoulders, squeezing gently, "What do you say, El? Want to get going?"

I looked up at her, and nodded my head. I just wanted to go home. Home was familiar… home was where I didn't feel awkward. Here I just felt out of place. Olivia took my hand as I stood up, "Actually, I want you to see one more person before we leave. Just for a few minutes."

I sighed, and nodded my head, "Okay."

She must have sensed my mood, because she squeezed my hand gently, "It's okay, El. These people are our friends, they understand what you're going through. You don't have to feel strange around them."

She guided me through a door to the left of the bullpen, into an office. There was a middle-aged man sitting behind the desk, working on paperwork. He looked up when we walked in, and smiled softly.

"El, this is Captain Cragen. He's our boss," Olivia told me softly.

"Hi, Elliot," he greeted, and gestured towards the two chairs in front of the desk with his pen, "Why don't you sit down? I'd like to talk with you."

I looked at Olivia, hesitant to even leave her side. It made me feel like a little kid, but she was the only thing I knew right now. She smiled gently at me, "Go ahead, El. It's okay."

So I did as they both requested, now feeling like I could trust the man sitting behind the desk. He smiled, folding his hands on the wood, "So how are you doing?"

I shrugged lightly, "I'm okay, I guess. Other than this whole memory thing… I'm okay."

Cragen nodded his head, "Bullet wound doesn't really hurt that much?"

"No, not with the medicine they gave me…" I answered, "Can't really feel it."

"Good," the captain stated, "So you don't remember me, then."

It wasn't a question. He already knew the answer. I shook my head slowly, "No, I don't. I…I'm sorry."

I really was sorry. It felt terrible standing in front of all these people that were supposed to be my friends and knowing that they actually care about me… and not remembering anything about them.

"Hey," he said, "What are you apologizing for? None of this was your fault."

I looked up at him, and my lips turned upward slightly. I could tell that this wasn't just my boss. He seemed more like a father than anything else, "Really?"

"Of course not," Cragen answered, "You got hurt, there was nothing that you could have done. Everyone here knows that. You'll get your memory back, and you'll remember all of us."

"I hopes so," I said.

"I know you, Elliot. You might not know yourself that much right now, but I do. I know that you'll so everything you can to get it back."

I nodded, grateful to this man that was nearly a stranger to me. Olivia touched my shoulder gently, "Come on. Let's go home."

* * *

><p>AN: Thanks for reading guys. Please review and let me know what you think about this so far.

Also, I posted another chapter of Adversity yesterday, but only heard from one of you :( If you guys could take a look and let me know what you think of that one, that would be great, and I'll even reward you by getting another chapter done early, lol. So go on over there and check it out!


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